Comments (15)

I was there with a fellow resident of the Ol’ Soldiers’ Home, who was a retired United States Marine Corps master gunnery sergeant AND a retired deputy sheriff(of Scottish heritage, he taught me how to purchase and wear my kilt).

Due to the crowd and the mud, we didn’t get too close to the stage, so we couldn’t hear everything, or at least, I don’t remember it.

I do remember seeing that famous female blogger, whose name I can’t remember.

Some folks from Code Pink tried to make trouble, and were chased from the park.

The police were unsympathetic to them, saying they’d been warned not to mess with us.

A lot of the Viet Nam veterans were bikers and/or retired cops, so they were having friendly conversations with the various motorcycle police who were on the scene.

I remember it being cold, wet, windy, and muddy.

I was prepared, for I wore my jump boots, with my jeans tucked in, but the guy who was with me had worn ordinary street shoes, so he got soaking wet, slipping and sliding in the mud.

Afterwards, we went looking for a place to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day.

We ended up at a brewery next to Union Station, where I had an alcohol free beer, while the other guy enjoyed his pints.

It was an interesting day, and I’m glad I went.

Oh, by the way – – – ,

If you folks will go to my web site (just click on my name), you can watch my latest homemade amateur video recording of ME (!) strumming my guitar and singing a favorite song, “SOMEDAY SOON”, composed by a Canadian cowboy, Ian Tyson.

I only just recorded it a couple of hours ago.

Note the difference between the original lyrics and the words that I sing.

That’s because the song was written for a female singer, and I changed the words to make it a “guy” song.

Thank you.

John Robert Mallernee
Armed Forces Retirement Home
Gulfport, Mississippi 39507

That was a grand time. We brought a busload of us down from all over Maine. Drove all night to get there, did the rally, then left that night for a straight trip back.

Got to meet some great people. Got accused by Medea Benjamin of slashing her tires, though me and my friends had been talking with some DC cops the whole time she said we were a mile away doing that “crime”. they told her to get lost. 🙂

I’d do it again in a heartbeat, cold, wet, stiffness and everything. The evnt was just electrifying to this old airdale, and the best part was seeing hos it scared the crap outta all the protesters there.

We should do it again when our brothers and sisters finally come home from Afghanistan. I’d be honored to help out wherever I could be of use.

Somewhere I have pictures of myself getting aid from other vets (my wheelchair was stuck in the mud and they laid down plywood for me) and a shot of me meeting and talking with Michelle Malkin (she was awesomely gracious and polite.) If anyone wants them I’ll dig them up and pass them along.

Aww Jonn. That day was one of the best ever. I watched Deborah Johns punch a Code Pinker who shoved her and dumped water on her, and I got to stand with thousands of my countrymen and sing my favorite song. Then I got to sit in the hotel bar surrounded by the best men I’ve ever met and listen to their stories and just bask in the awesomeness. Doesn’t get better. Thanks for the memories.

I was there, too. Me and a few of my comrades. It was ass-biting cold and I wished I my cold weather Mickey boots. I stood on the wall for hours and hours. And that she-Hag got what was coming to her. Best. Day. And then there were more of them…I wrote AAR’s for each one…That guy Hooper had a great photo on his blog of me on that wall. What ever happened to him?

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About thisainthell

We are all military combat veterans and we write primarily from that perspective. Everyone who writes here has a Combat Infantry Badge, a Combat Medic Badge, a Combat Action Badge or a Combat Action Ribbon. We write about issues that matter to combat veterans..read more »